Improvement in reed-organ stop-actions



J- A' SMITH- 2mm-sheen.

REED-OMAN STOP-ACTION..

No.171,702. Y Patented Jam.l4,1875` UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN SMITH, OF NORTH EAST, PENNSYLVANIA.

lMPROVE-MENT IN REED-ORGAN STOP-ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,702, dated J annary4, 1876; application filed July 21, 1874.

OASE A.

To all whom it may concern:

Be vit known that I, JOHN A. SMITH, of North East, in the county of Erieand State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Organ, of which thefollowing is a specication:

My invention relates to the construction of organs; and consists inimprovements in the construction of the stops, the stop-action, and alsoin the stop-registers.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows, saiddrawings beingon two sheets:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the keyboard of an organ, and showsmy-mode of placing the stop keys and registers. Fig. 2 is across-section of the part shown in Fig. l, and shows the constructionand operation of the stop-action. Fig. 4 is a plan View of thestop-action of an organ, and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same.Fig. 6 is a plan view, showing my mode of constructing a knee-swellorfull-organ knee-lever and its attachments. Fig. 1, which represents aportion of the keyboard with the narneboard and key-slip, shows theoutward arrangement and operation of my stop-keys and stop-registers.

Two methods or forms of construction are shown. M represents one form,and M' the other form. The first may be known as the horizontal, and thesecond as the perpendicular, movement. M M represent the stopkeys, whichare placed in the key-slip, and are operated by the thumb. Connectedwith each of the stop-keys is a register, O, which is placed in thename-board. When it is desired to put on a stop, the operator pressesthe thumb on the stop-key, and shoves it into the position seen in theright-hand key in Fig. l. This puts on the stop, and it is indicated bythe register O, marked Melod., dropping down. Thus the drawing, Fig. l,shows the right and middle, marked, respectively, Viola 7 and Melod.,?horizontal stops on77 and the other two off The perpendicular stop-key Mis operated by the finger. They are placed between the keys, and rangedalong the front of the name-board. They carry their own register, andwhen the stop is on they are seen below the other stops or registers,and when of they stand up in 'line with the others; the mode ofindicating the position of the,y mute being, in either style ofregister, the sameviz., their relation to a line at right angles totheir line of oscillation. As stated, the stops are put on by a pressureof the thumb or iinger, as the case may be. To put the stop off, asimilar movement of the thumb or finger is made. In neither the puttingon or off of any of the stops is it necessary to move the hand from. thekey-board, or in any way interrupt the,playing. Fig. 2 is a transversesection of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and shows the construction andoperation of what I have denominated the horizontal stop-action.7 Theposition of the parts shown is that existing when the stop is off. P isthe key-slip, and M the stop-key operating through it. R is the rod,which passes from the keyM through the catch-block S and guideblock S',and terminates in the bumper W. In this rod, near the catch block S, isa notch, r, which engages with the catch s on the catch-block S. The rodIt passes by (or through, if desired) a stop-lever, T, and at that pointis placed a cross-bar, t, which engages with the lever T. At aconvenient point on the rod E a bar, Y, is attached, which passes upbetween the keys, and engages with the register-lever X, at such a pointas to leave the pivot X between the bar Y and the register O. The leverX passes through a slot, E', in the nameboard E, and to its outer end isattached the register O. The inner end of the lever X is kept depressedby the spring Z. This holds the register O up in line, as beforementioned. The stop-lever T is pivoted on the standard T', or in someother convenient manner, and the rod U connects it to the mute V.

The operation of these parts is as follows: The player, desiring to openthe mute V or put on the stop, presses inward and a little downward thekey M. This shoves back the rod R. The catch r engages with the catch s,and the rod is held in the new position. The rod R, in passing in,brings the cross-bar t against thelever T, and pushes it back, and by itthe muteVhas been thrown open. The

' the catch 1^ s.

movement of the register has been simultaneous, for the bar Y has alsobeen pushed against the inner end of the lever X, and thus tilted downthe register O out of line, and thus it is indicated that the stop ison. To return these parts to their former position, or, in other words,to close the mute or put ott' the stop, all that is required is for theoperator to sufficiently raise the thumb-key by a slight upward pressureof the thumb to disengage When this is done the coilspring R will returnthe parts to their former position. To facilitate the action of thethumb on the thumb-key in disengaging the catch, I make in the end ofthe key an indentation, N.

It will be observed that I have so arranged the movement of the registerthat it corresponds with the movement ofthe thumb-keythat is, when thestop is on the register is down, and when the stop goes off the registergoesup. Therefore it is a perfectly natural movement -for the player toAslightly lift the thumb-key when he Wishes to take oft' a stop, for indoing it he is apparently willing for the register to go up.

The perpendicular-acting stop key is shown in Fig. 3. This is composedof the key M, with a register, O', attached thereto. To this isconnected the rod R', with catch r s', and it communicates to thenecessary levers, substantially as in the other case. The key isoperated by the linger, it being placed by the name-board in such aposition as to be easily operated.

Another part of my invention relates to the construction of the kneelever or swell. This part of my invention is seen in Fig. 6, which is aplan view from beneath. It is also seen in elevation in Fig. 5. Itconsists of the kneelever a, pivot and bracing plate b, releasinglever cand catch-bar f, spring g, and connectin g-rod d. The lever a is oftheordinary form, but it is pivoted on a bracing-plate, b, which is a partofthe lever. This prevents wrench` ing the lever at the pivot, and thuscauses it to last much longer. To further 'prevent wrenching theconnecting-rod d runs from the .under side of the lever at a point nearthe knee, thus making the connecting-rod also a brace.

In connection with the lever a is a releasing-lever, c, which operatesagainst the catch I lever or barf. This is operated by an upwardpressure ofthe knee, and When thus moved it releases the catch-bar ffrom its engagement with the lever a.

Another feature of my invention is to connect with the knee-lever a asystem of levers, m m m m m, which pass around the works, and to whichcan be connected all of the mutes. These connections can be madedirectly or by connecting-levers, or by any device whatever, and atalmost any point, so it is not too near a fulcrum to give the necessarymotion. When thus connected to my system oflevers a movement of theknee-lever a will actuate all the mutes at once, and thus produce the'full organ effect. This system of levers can be seen in Fig. 4.

I believe I have herein fully described my invention, so that thoseskilled in the art of organ-making can construct one of my improvedorgans 5 therefore,

What I claim is as follows 1. The vertically-oscillating stop-register OO', arranged immediately infront of the nameboard, substantially asdescribed and shown, to thereby indicate the position of the stopcorresponding therewith.

2. The combination of the stop-key M with the catch r s and a spring,all arranged to operte lsubstantially as and for the purposes set ort 3.The combination of the key M and rod R with the register-lever X, or itsequivalent, arranged substantially as shown7 and for the purposesmentioned.

4:. The construction ot the knee-lever c with the bracing-plate b, asshown, and for the purposes mentioned.

5. The catchlever f, in combination with the releasing-lever c, asshown, and for the purposes mentioned.

6. The register O and register leverV X, in combination with the slottedname-board E, constructed and arranged as shown, and for the purposesmentioned.

7. The quadrangular set o1" levers m m m m m, in conjunction with theknee-lever a, allarranged to operate as shown, and for the purposesmentioned.

JOHN A. SMITH. Witnesses:

JNO. K. HALLocK, E. R. BLooD;

